Pioneer Days honor western heritage

June 2, 2007

By Thomas Garcia: Freedom Newspapers

This year’s Pioneer Days celebration has added significance with Clovis celebrating its centennial.
In its 37th year, Pioneer Days celebrates past traditions, heritage, pioneer spirit and progress of the area.

“It is tradition that looks back on the days of the cowboys and settlers on the open range and honoring the old ways,” Curry County Commissioner Frank Blackburn said.

As usual, the PRCA rodeo is among the highlights.

All-Around champion Trevor Brazile of Decatur, Texas, is among a handful of current and former world champions entered in the rodeo that runs Thursday through Saturday at the Curry County Mounted Patrol Arena.

Other events throughout the week include a Little Buckaroo rodeo, a rodeo queen pageant, a breakfast honoring the area’s pioneer women and a parade featuring a flyover by four F-16s.

“This area is rich in western heritage,” said Wilma Fulgham, Pioneer Days rodeo queen pageant coordinator. “This helps to honor the spirit and the work of the homesteaders that settled this area including my grandfather, who came her in 1906.”